Paramount Pictures is betting big on its next theatrical release.
The studio has officially acquired U.S. rights to By Any Means, a crime thriller directed by Elegance Bratton and led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg. The film is now set to hit theaters on September 4, 2026, over Labor Day weekend.
Set in 1966 Mississippi and inspired by true events, By Any Means follows an uneasy alliance between a seasoned mafia hitman and a young Black FBI agent. Tasked with tracking down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders, the pair are pulled into a dangerous conspiracy—one that blurs the lines between justice, loyalty, and survival.
The film is written by Sascha Penn and features a supporting cast that includes Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, David Strathairn, Josh Lucas, Ethan Embry, LisaGay Hamilton, and LaChanze.
The film is produced by Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six. Producers include Alex Lebovici, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chester Algernal Gordon, Stephen Levinson, and Mark Wahlberg under his Closest to the Hole Production banner.
Executive producers include Jonathan Oakes, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall, Warren Goz, Adam Kolbrenner, Sascha Penn, Waylen Lin, Zach Zhang, Logan Coles, Lee Broda, Lee Shira, and Dorit L. Hakim-Kramer. WME Independent and CAA Media Finance are co-repping U.S. rights, with North.Five.Six. overseeing international sales.
With its historical backdrop and layered premise, By Any Means positions itself as both a gripping thriller and a deeper look at power, justice, and survival during one of America’s most volatile eras.
The film will open opposite Amazon MGM Studios’ How to Rob a Bank, setting up a competitive Labor Day box office weekend.